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When a Ferrari owner encounters a China petrol pump cashier

Zxcvb

By Zxcvb,
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Zxcvb

Zxcvb

Turbocharged

Just wanna share an encounter today at the Shell Petrol Station along Havelock Road.

 

So there I was stopping over the station merely to replenish my carpark coupons. Walking past the Black SFF Ferrari, briefly admiring it. Then entered the outlet to get my coupons. There was a slight queue, but bearable. Then overheard a rather Chinese accented English speaking voice. Alas! A China (Ah Tiong) cashier working behind the counter. As he was the only cashier at the moment, the queue started to swell.

 

And so I was behind this middle-aged gentlemen who owns the Ferrari. As his turn came, he wanted to check on his points if he could redeem in paying off his pending petrol bill. China FT (Ah Tiong) followed up his request, taking little while. When said cashier tried explaining (in heavily accented and broken English) to Ferrari owner the total of points plus redeemable dollars and so on and so forth, Ferrari owner got blurred. [dizzy]

 

All Ferrari owner wants is to get the points to pay off the current petrol bill, and any balance, he will sign it off using his credit card. Unfortunately, the eager cashier tried further explaining to him his number of points and the total dollars redeemable. And when cashier noticed the frustration of Ferrari owner on his look, he resort to his native Mandrain. This was swiftly rebutted by the Ferrari owner giving the shrug with hands wide apart posture to show his lack of grip of the language. [dead]

 

While all these were happening, Ferrari owner did turn back facing me apologetically to express his frustration as well as holding the queue. A pretty modest Ferrari owner. And when I look back, there was already a queue of about 7 or 8 behind me. [sweatdrop]

 

In the end, Ferrari owner simply sign the credit card making full payment. Perhaps the redeem points can be save for another day. [rolleyes]

 

Well, the only salvation to this rather unfortunate event is that the China cashier is very service oriented - with all the pleasant greetings, 2 hands handling the card etc without losing his cool. [thumbsup]

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Gnoikj

Gnoikj

Neutral Newbie

[:p] U also very patient bro...

 

I must say though..not all FTs have problem with the language...there's this FT mei mei (PRC) working the Shell petrol station at Balestier/ Moulmein that looks very sweet. Her English was CMI in the first few weeks I went there to pump...But I noticed a very marked improvement as time went by..She was very pretty. [inlove] Hence I always look forward to filling up at the station...It was good too that she took the pains to learn the language....

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Zxcvb

Zxcvb

Turbocharged
  • Author

errmm... sorry, actually it's a black Porsche. too much late nights. [lipsrsealed]

 

I'm patient coz enjoying the episode. I did wanted to help to soothen the mis-communication, but by that time, porsche owner was about to signed off the bill.

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Hilander4650

Hilander4650

Neutral Newbie
Just wanna share an encounter today at the Shell Petrol Station along Havelock Road.

 

So there I was stopping over the station merely to replenish my carpark coupons. Walking past the Black SFF Ferrari, briefly admiring it. Then entered the outlet to get my coupons. There was a slight queue, but bearable. Then overheard a rather Chinese accented English speaking voice. Alas! A China (Ah Tiong) cashier working behind the counter. As he was the only cashier at the moment, the queue started to swell.

 

And so I was behind this middle-aged gentlemen who owns the Ferrari. As his turn came, he wanted to check on his points if he could redeem in paying off his pending petrol bill. China FT (Ah Tiong) followed up his request, taking little while. When said cashier tried explaining (in heavily accented and broken English) to Ferrari owner the total of points plus redeemable dollars and so on and so forth, Ferrari owner got blurred. [dizzy]

 

All Ferrari owner wants is to get the points to pay off the current petrol bill, and any balance, he will sign it off using his credit card. Unfortunately, the eager cashier tried further explaining to him his number of points and the total dollars redeemable. And when cashier noticed the frustration of Ferrari owner on his look, he resort to his native Mandrain. This was swiftly rebutted by the Ferrari owner giving the shrug with hands wide apart posture to show his lack of grip of the language. [dead]

 

While all these were happening, Ferrari owner did turn back facing me apologetically to express his frustration as well as holding the queue. A pretty modest Ferrari owner. And when I look back, there was already a queue of about 7 or 8 behind me. [sweatdrop]

 

In the end, Ferrari owner simply sign the credit card making full payment. Perhaps the redeem points can be save for another day. [rolleyes]

 

Well, the only salvation to this rather unfortunate event is that the China cashier is very service oriented - with all the pleasant greetings, 2 hands handling the card etc without losing his cool. [thumbsup]

 

wat does it tell's u ?? tat ferarri driver got some problems in his mother tougue short & sharp..chicken & duck talk whereby u are suppose to be superior in communicating with the china FT then malays & indians...

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Silver_blade

Silver_blade

Turbocharged

That's the problem of having FTs (who don't speak decent english) doing front desk job.

 

This is the same problem UK is facing. Over there, there are too many eastern Europeans working in their restaurants (often the cheaper ones eg. Mac's, BK, etc), etc....and often it is very difficult to understand what they are trying to say and the problem get worse if you try to make special request to have the food done in a certain way to like. Also, perhaps it's their culture or the way their native society are...most don't even smile. In fact, most have the 'confrontation' face. It actually brings down the standard of service.

 

I felt we were slightly better off, in the not so distant past, when most of are of FTs workign in the petrol kiosk were indians or Bangladeshis could spoke decent english, which is our common working language.

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Silver_blade

Silver_blade

Turbocharged

What make you think that the Ferrari owner is chinese? He could be a Baba, who took Malay as his mother tongue? [;)][;)]

 

Some middle-age people was under a different education system as us. Some of them were in a strictly English or strictly Chinese school. Some even have Malay as their 2nd language.

 

So the problem may not lies with the customer. In service line, your staffs are supposed to be able to communication effectively at least in English and any additional language is a bonus. Unless of course we are talking about coffeeshop where we generally don't expect too much about service...or a small Chinese restaurant where most of their customers are Chinese.

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Hilander4650

Hilander4650

Neutral Newbie
(edited)

it does not matter now if the ferrari driver is a chinese or not...lol...the trend now is every where u go is chinese FT..lol.. [laugh] u must speak their language...lol which i can...ferrari diver cannot speak too....bad...lol................. [thumbsdown]eat sxxt lo..... [laugh]dun expect every thing to be in english... [sleeping] nxt time could be in panjabi.... [laugh]

Edited by Hilander4650
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Nerdyfrog

Nerdyfrog

Neutral Newbie

yup, agreed not all ft have problems with english.

1 ft in gey**** ask me," wanna go?", "mas-sa-g vely good, orni wan hunted dollars."

hahaha

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Rickster

Rickster

5th Gear

Hey, recently I've encoutered some chinese national petrol pump attendants. I must say their service level is very [thumbsup][thumbsup][thumbsup]

 

Reminds me alot of the petrol pump attendants in the Initial D anime. [:p]

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Friendstar

Friendstar

Supercharged

This thread is a heartwarming read

 

1) Rich Ferrari owner -- modest, humble, patient

 

2) PRC cashier -- polite, affable

 

3) nothing eventful happened even though the setting is perfect for a big complaint by the rich guy

 

4) Everyone is happy.

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